Biology

Electabuzz is a slightly humanoid creature with a few feline traits. It is covered in yellow fur with black stripes; a large stripe on its chest is shaped like a lightning bolt. It has a long tail. There are three, clawed toes on its feet; two in front and one in back, while it has five fingers on each hand. Electabuzz has two sharp fangs and a pair of antennae with bulbous ends. In the dark, Electabuzz will glow a light blue with the electrical charge stored inside of it.

Electabuzz is capable of storing huge amounts of electrical energy inside of its body over long periods. Electabuzz are extremely irritable and aggressive Pokémon and are prone to spirited competition. During torrential thunderstorms, Electabuzz will compete with one another to determine which one is capable of attaining the highest ground, as to be most likely struck by a bolt of lightning out of the sky. If struck, Electabuzz will absorb the electricity and will not be harmed. It is in this same manner that captured Electabuzz are sometimes used in small towns as an alternative to lightning rods.

As demonstrated in the anime, Electabuzz is enraged by the color red. If this Pokémon sees the color red, it will become violent and raze the area around it. In battle, Electabuzz windmills its arms, apparently to add momentum to it punches. This method of battle seems ineffective, as its opponent has been known to escape in the meantime. It is also capable of entirely nonverbal communication via electrical currents when in close proximity to one another. Electabuzz typically resides in or around power plants, and can also be found in grasslands. It has been known to wander into cities and cause blackouts.

Electabuzz, the Electric Pokémon. An evolved form of Elekid. It appears near power generators, and because it eats electricity it can cause blackouts.

This concludes the entries from the Diamond & Pearl series.

In the manga

Electabuzz in Pokémon Adventures

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Rudy's Electabuzz was his first choice of Pokémon in his Gym battle against Ash.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Electabuzz debuts in its own round, Buzz Off, Electabuzz!, as the main Pokémon of Lt. Surge. It is so vicious that even the Trainer himself can't keep it in its Ball, and its ThunderPunch attack tears through ground floors like wheat. However, though the most that Poli could do against it was freezing its feet to flee, when it evolved into a Poliwrath, the tables turned, and a Seismic Toss threw them both off the ship.

Trivia

Magmar and Electabuzz seem to be counterparts; both evolve in a very similar way (first at level 30, then after being traded holding an item which has a name that ends with the suffix "-izer"), and both are typically exclusive to one version of a pair of games. They also learn all their moves at the same levels, such as Fire Punch and ThunderPunch at Level 28. They even have the same special moves when purified from Pokémon XD: Follow Me and Cross Chop. Their pre-evolutions and evolutions were released in the same generation (Generation II and IV). Additionally, their Japanese names are essentially phonetic reversals of each other.

Electabuzz is the only member of its family not to have some physical relation to an AC power unit. Elekid's head is shaped like a power plug while Electivire's back pattern looks like a power socket.

Electabuzz is depicted with six fingers on both of its hands in Pokémon Stadium.

Origin

Electabuzz is likely based on the Japanese oni who was a horned ogre who wore tiger skin and was sometimes depicted as a god of lightning and thunder. Its tail looks like that of a tiger.

Name origin

Electabuzz is a combination of electric and buzz (possibly referring to the humming sound of electricity).